Method for production of conducting element and conducting element

ABSTRACT

Method for production of conducting element, which conducting element consists at least of an elongated electricity conductive, in which several electric components ( 2 ), bringing out the lighting operation or like according to the use of the conducting element, are being attached to one after another in the longitudinal direction (s), whereafter the said entirety is being surrounded by a casing part ( 3 ) protecting the same. The conducting element is being manufactured from an essentially flat conductor part ( 1; 1 ′), such as a band, a stripe or a like, into which there has been attached electric components ( 2 ′), such as probes, LEDs, resistors and/or the like by arranging the same, preferably throughout built-in when viewed in a cross section with a casing material ( 3 ′) forming the said casing part ( 3 ), by exploiting a continuous manufacturing process, such as extrusion or like. The invention relases to a conducting element to be manufactured by the method, also.

The present invention relates to a method for production of conductingelement, which conducting element consists at least of an elongated andessentially flat electricity conductive conductor part, such as a band,a strip or a like, in which several electric components, such as probes,LEDs, resistors and/or the like bringing out the lighting operation orthe like according to the use of the conducting element, are beingattached to one after another in the longitudinal direction, and of acasing part, which conducting element is being manufactured by arrangingthe conductor part and the components existing therewith when viewed ina cross section totally surrounded by a casing material forming the saidcasing part, by exploiting a continuous manufacturing process, such asextrusion or like.

In light operated guidance devices, that are meant, for example, toguide sports performances, it is previously known to use lamps that areconnected one after another to an electric conductor placed inside atransparent pipe, which guide the athletes' performance according to apredrafted programme. In this case, when following the lamps gettinglighted one after another, the athlete may keep the previously definedspeed. The type of traditional solutions described above are usuallybased on guidance devices, that have been put together completely one byone from separate parts and in which usually bulbs have been used aslamps, that have been connected in series to the electric conductorpassing through a transparent pipe. When using the type of guidancedevices above adequate attention must be payed to the tightness of thecasing part, so that water may not enter inside the guidance device,when the same is being used in damp circumstances, for example, in aswimming pool.

On the other hand it is known to use also certain type of electricguidance devices or like, that are manufactured one by one and that maybe used e.g. the way described above when being coupled to each otherone after another. This type of solutions are usually produced bymolding the same inside transparent plastics, that is why when couplingthe guidance devices to each other completely separate coupling wiresmust be used, that must naturally be protected separately as well whenthe same are being used e.g. for guiding purposes under particularlydemanding circumstances, such as in inflammable or the likeaccommodations. Protection of the intermediate wires require thuscareful installation or auxiliary measures and components during actualproduction of the devices on the one hand e.g. to prevent sparkling tothe surroundings and on the other hand to protect the electric wires andactual lighting devices from water or humidity of the surroundings.

Furthermore e.g. from U.S. Pat. No. 5,496,427 it is previously known toproduce fully capsulated lighting strip based on electroluminance byextrusion. This type of solution, that is purely based onelectroluminance, may be carried out in a totally traditional way byusing merely elongated leads and intermediate strips, that continueconstant (cf. electric cables). Instead of the above, with a structurethat is based according to the present invention on printed circuitboard technics, it is possible to achieve a conducting strip, thatoperates particularly dynamically as well and in which there exists alight effect, that moves along the guiding direction. This type ofsolution may not in any way be achieved by the strip according to theabove US Patent, that is based on electroluminance, because it operatesby on/off principle only.

On the other hand it is no doubt previously known from U.S. Pat. No.5,193,895 as well to produce an elongated strip for lighting purposes.In this patent there has not been presented, however, particularly amoisture resistant end product, that may be achieved just by exploitingextrusion being mentioned above. The type of solution is thus based onat least two separate parts, in which case moisture will cause alwaysproblems in practice, when the same enters between the part layers. Withthis type of solution it is not either possible to end up to aconducting strip, that operates dynamically as described above, but theconducting strips enabled by the solution in question always operate byon/off principle.

Furthermore in EP Application 760448 (which application has becomepublic, however, only after the priority date of the invention inquestion) there has been represented a solution, which is first of allbased on two or more continuous conducting bars passing throughout thewhole conducting strip, into which LEDs are connected one after anotherin the longitudinal direction. The first variation in the applicationcomprises a solution, which consists of two elongated conducting bars,into which there has been attached LEDs, which entirety has beenextruded by a suitable plastic based paste to achieve a built-inelongated conducting strip. The other variation in the application issuch, that in addition to the conducting bars a binding strip is beingfed to the extrusion apparatus, that is unwound from a roll and that iscontinuous in the longitudinal direction and on top of which thereexists separate printed circuit boards, in which the LEDs have beeninstalled. Because in this variation there has been used conducting barsas well, that are continuous in the longitudinal direction, and that areattached to the contact surfaces existing in those totally separateprinted circuits by means of separate pressing rollers, it is notpossible with the type of solution in question to achieve such dynamicoperation of the conducting strip as described above, but instead thesolution in question is further based on traditional on/off use.

In the solution in question the starting point is thus always such, thatthe conducting strip comprises at least two or more conducting barspassing continuously from one end to the other end of the same and intowhich the LEDs are connected either directly or by using furthermore abinding strip, on which the separate printed circuit boards equippedwith LEDs have been supported. This is why the solution in question isparticularly with a view to manufacturing technics as well as by theconstruction of the same disproportionately complicated, because inconnection with the same there must furthermore be used first of allconducting bars, continuing in the longitudinal direction, because ofthe printed circuit boards, that are electrically totally separate inrespect to each other, to connect the printed circuit boards and LEDsexisting therewith to each other to achieve at least a static operationof the conducting strip.

A method of this invention has an object of providing a decisive remedyto the above discussed problems and, thus, of raising substantially theexisting prior art. In order to achieve this object, the method of theinvention is substantially characterized in, that the electriccomponents of a conducting element, that enables preferably dynamic use,are being attached preferably by means of surface mounting technics toan electric conductor layer, such as to a copper coating or like of abasic material, that is made of plastics, such as polyamide, polyesterspolyethylene napthalate or like, of the conductor part, that is based onso called printed circuit board technics, whereby the electric conductorlayer continues essentially uninterruptedly over the whole length of theconducting element, whereafter the entirety being brought out is beingsurrounded by a casing material, that is based on plastics such as PVC,polyurethane, olefin and/or like.

The most essential benefits of the method of the invention include itssimplicity and operating reliability, which enables significantly moreprofitable production when compared to nowadays conducting elements. Themethod according to the invention enables first of all a very lowprofile, thanks to which conducting elements according to the inventionmay be used e.g. in connection with vinyl floors, because a guidingelement enabled by the method, the height of which is below 2 mm, may beinstalled completely to the same level as the vinyl floor surfacesurrounding the same. The method according to the invention enables thatas well, that the conducting element is water and gas proof, thanks towhich a conducting elements being produced by the method according tothe invention may be used both in damp or wet rooms/surroundings as wellas e.g. in inflammable surroundings. The method according to theinvention enables a structure, that has a very strong surface, wherein aconducting element being built e.g. into a floor does not significantlydiffer from the original vinyl floor surrounding the same by its surfacehardness. The method according to the invention is based on very usualextrusion technics in principle, which however, when being used in thisconnection enables surprising possibilities with a view to productionand final dimensions of the conducting element to be produced by themethod, whereby the dimensions, shapes and electric characteristics ofthe conducting element to be produced may be altered very easily bymaking only the necessary simple technical changes during each workingphase. By exploiting the method according to the invention it ispossible to produce a continuous and flexible conducting element, thatmay be stored on roll and in addition to the above straight bar-likeconducting elements naturally as well. The invention enables furthermoreproduction of a conducting element, that is secured electrically by loopprinciple merely thanks to the conductor part existing therewith, thathas been carried out by printed circuit board technics. It may be statedin this connection as well, that the bendability of e.g. the solutionparticularly according to the above EP application may be questionable,because in this solution the conducting bars are being pressed againstthe contact surfaces existing in the conducting printed circuit boards,in which case when bending the conducting strip, the components inquestion probably get separated, in which case the electric contactbreaks.

Thanks to the invention it is possible to produce conducting strips,that differ from the visual point of view from all previous solutions aswell, by feeding e.g. differing coating colour layers to the extrusionapparatus. The colour layers may be of the same colour as thebackground, self luminous or e.g. reflective. It is furthermore possibleto arrange e.g. lences in connection with the colour layers, that areplaced on the LED-component surfaces. In this way it is possible withina solution according to the invention to combine intelligently effect ofboth light and reflective/self-luminous colour.

The non-independent claims directed to the method said worth preferredembodiments for the method of the invention.

The invention relates also to a conducting element to be produced by themethod, that is defined in more detail in the preamble of theindependent claim directed thereto. The features essentiallycharacteristics for the conducting element are set forth in thecharacterizing section of the same claim.

The most significant benefits of the conducting element according to theinvention include simplicity and operating reliability of production,construction and use of the same. Particularly use of a so calledcontinuous manufacturing process, that means so called extrusion,enables first of all that, that the length of a conducting elementaccording to the invention may be even hundreds of meters. Theconducting element according to the invention may be produced as acompletely intergrated structure and as an essentially water and gastight or moisture resistant structure. The conducting element accordingto the invention may be dimensioned very small, in which case it may beused as totally built-in with a vinyl floor, in which case the surfacestrength and the like characteristics of the same further correspondessentially to the characteristics of the vinyl floor surrounding thesame. In addition to that, thanks to the conductor part being carriedout electrically by printed circuit board techniques, the conductingelement may be produced in a way, that it operates either statically (noalteration of direction) or dynamically (with alteration of direction),in which case the conducting element operates despite the fact, thatsome of the electric components malfunction. In case the conductingelement needs to be prepared it may be carried out simply by changingpieces of the conducting elements, the length of which correspond one orseveral sections of the same, by using, for example, soldering ormechanical couplings within joints, whereafter the jointing points maybe sealed furthermore with a plastic matrix corresponding to the surfaceof the strip. The conducting element according to the invention may thusbe exploited in most heterogeneous connections and uses, e.g. in publicaccommodations, ship surroundings, aeroplanes, terminals etc. or fornormal guiding purposes, for emergency or safety lighting purposes, forcontrol, guidance use, monitoring, measuring and/or observing purposesetc.; the conducting element according to the invention may be producedaccording to the nowadays LLL-requirements (Low Location Lighting).

The invention will now be described in more detail with reference madeto the accompanying drawings, in which

FIG. 1 shows one advantageous general principle of the method accordingto the invention and

FIGS. 2a and 2 b show one advantageous conductor strip being produced bythe method according to the invention as a cross-section (FIG. 2a) and acovering band being used in a conductor strip according to the inventionseen from above (FIG. 2b).

The invention relates to a method for production of conducting element,which conducting element consists at least of an elongated andessentially flat electricity conductive conductor part 1; 1′, such as aband, a strip or a like in which several electric components 2; 2′, suchas probes, LEDs, resistors and/or the like bringing out the lightingoperation or like according to the use of the conducting element, arebeing attached to one after another in the longitudinal direction s, andof a casing part 3. The conducting element is being manufactured byarranging the conductor part and the components existing therewith 1;1′, 2; 2′ when viewed in a cross section totally surrounded by a casingmaterial 3′ forming the said casing part 3, by exploiting a continuousmanufacturing process, such as extrusion or like. The electriccomponents 2′ of a conducting element, that enables preferably dynamicuse as well, are being attached preferably by means of surface mountingtechnologies to an electric conductor layer 1′b, such as to a coppercoating or like of a basic material 1′a, that is made of plastics, suchas polyamide, polyester, polyethylene napthalate or like, of theconductor part 1′, that is based on so called printed circuit boardtechnics, whereby the electric conductor layer 1′b continues essentiallyuninterruptedly over the whole length of the conducting element,whereafter the entirety being brought out is being surrounded by acasing material 3′, that is based on plastics such as PVC, polyurethane,olefin and/or like.

Furthermore as an advantageous embodiment, the electric conductor layer1′b, such as copper coating or like of the conductor part, that is madeof a continuous flexible printed circuit board, is being coated at leastby the parts surrounding the electric components 2′ by a coveringcolour, film 1′c or like before processing of the casing material 3′.

Furthermore as an advantageous embodiment of the method with referenceparticularly to FIG., 1 the electric components 2′ are being attachedduring a first phase I by surface processing technics to the flexibleconductor part 1′, that is preferably unwound from a roll, whereafter atleast the covering colour, strip 1′c or like surrounding at least theelectric components 2′ of the conductor part 1′ is being attached to thesame during a second phase II and wherein the same is being extrudedduring a third phase II by a casing material 3′ surrounding the sameessentially overall. Naturally it is possible to vary the above workingstages in a way, that the electric components are placed after thecovering strip 1′c has been installed.

Futhermore as an advantageous embodiment of the method, duringproduction of the conducting element co-extrusion is being exploited inother words by using e.g. three parallel extrusion nozzles particularlyfor colouring the longitudinal sectors of the conducting element to beproduced alternatively or for a corresponding purpose.

With reference to the method described above during a premanufacturingstage the desired lay-out of the conductor part 1′ is being designed andproduced. Thereafter a film is being produced from the lay-out inquestion, the size of which is preferably 1500 mm×600 mm, whereafter asieve for the silk-screen is being produced from the film. After thisthe protective colour is being brought by means of the sieve on top ofthe electric conductor layer 1′b existing on the basic material 1′a ofthe conductor part, whereafter etching of the conductor part 1′ is beingcarried out, thanks to which the desired electric lay-out of the coppersurface is achieved.

With the method described above it is possible to produce severalparallel conductor parts to the same preform in the same connection,which are being cut from each other after the stages described above anddriven on roll, whereafter the continued process has been describedabove. The uninterrupted length of a continuous printed circuit boardbeing produced e.g. the way described above and thanks to that theconducting element as well may be easily even 300 m.

A conducting element according to the invention consists thus of anelongated electricity conductive conductor part 1; 1′, which has severalsuccesive electric components 2; 2′ that bring out e.g. a lightingoperation, which entirety has furthermore being surrounded by means of acasing part 3; 3′ protecting the same. The electric components 2′ of aconducting element, that enables at least dynamic use, are attachedpreferably by means of surface mounting technics to an electricconductor layer 1′b, such as to a copper coating or like to existing ona basic material 1′a, that is made of plastics, such as polyamide,polyester, polyethylene napthalate or like, of the conductor part 1′,that is based on so called printed circuit board technics, whereby theelectric conductor layer 1′b continues essentially uninterruptedly overthe whole length of the conducting element, which entirety is surroundedthroughout by a completely uniform casing material 3′, that is based onplastics, such as PVC, polyurethane, olefin and/or like.

Furthermore as a particulary advantageous embodiment particularly tocover the e.g. copper coated outer surface of the conductor part 1′,that is made of a continuous flexible printed circuit board, on top ofthe same there is arranged a covering colour film 1′c or like at leaston the parts surrounding the electric components 2′. Particularly when aseparate covering film is being used e.g. as shown in FIG. 2b, in whichthere has been prepared during a premanufacturing stage openings atpoints corresponding the places of the components 2′a, 2′b to beconnected to the conductor part 1′, the solution is advantageous in suchrespect, that by using a suitable material thickness therewith it ispossible to even the outer surface of the conductor part particularlywith a view to the extrusion stage. Small alterations in heigth on theouter surface of the conductor part 1′ may be eliminated duringmanufacturing e.g. by altering drawing speed and/or extrusion pressureduring extrusion.

Furthermore as an advantageous embodiment in connection with aconducting element, that is meant to be installed particularly built-inwith a vinyl floor, the total thickness v of the conducting element isat the most 2 mm, whereby the thickness v of the casing material 3′ ofthe lowermost part of the conductor part 1′ is preferably 0,1-0,3 mm.

As a particularly advantageous embodiment with reference particularly tothe general principle of the method shown in FIG. 1, the conductingelement has been produced from a flexible conductor part, in which casethe produced conducting element may be furthermore stored on roll. Whenexploiting in other respects nowadays technology existing completelyalready, it is possible to produce e.g. conducting element according tothe invention, the breadth w of which is preferably between 5-1500 mm.The mentioned values may not in any way limit the solution beingexploited in this connection, because it is possible to achievesmaller/greater dimensions than presented above by very simplearrangements.

Furthermore as an advantageous embodiment the conductor part 1′ of theconducting element has been formed of at least two or several printedcircuit boards or printed circuit board layers, that are electricallyisolated from each other placed on one another. It is thus possible toproduce e.g. a conducting element as well, in the printed circuit boardof which there exists mutually differing and electrically isolatedcopper coatings on both opposite surfaces of the same. This type ofembodiments have not been shown in the drawings, because they may beeasily constructed in practice as embodiments, that are electricallyisolated from each other, by arranging the coating conductingelectricity only on one side of each printed circuit board layer. Withthe type of solutions it is possible to lead/transmit e.g. separategroups, canals passing in different kinds of buildings. In this way itis also possible to increase information being transmitted by theconductor strip without however essentially increasing the totalthickness of the conducting element. Furthermore the electric componentsof the conducting element may comprise LED-matrices being placed oneafter another in the longitudinal direction as well, e.g. to formletters, figures or text. In addition to that multicolour LEDs may beused in certain kinds of embodiments as the electric components, inwhich case depending on the situation the colour of the LEDs is mostsuitable to each operating purpose (green/red etc.).

It is obvious, that the invention is not limited to the above describedor discussed embodiments, but it can be subject to even majormodifications within the context of the basic concept. As explainedabove it is thus naturally possible to produce elongated stiffstructures as well apart from the type of flexible conducting elementsas explained above. It is naturally possible to exploit e.g. base rodsmade of plastics in connection with the type of flexible structures asdescribed above as well, when the conducting elements are being usede.g. in connection with textile floors or by exploiting aluminium orsteel structured base rods when the same are being used particularly inconnection with stone floors, in which it is not possible to makerecessions or grooves, so that the conducting element could be built inthe floor. It is naturally obvious as well, that it is advantageous toproduce the conducting element according to the invention in a way, thatit has parts of certain length, according to which the conductingelement may be cut and repaired afterwards. The method according to theinvention may be exploited in such a way as well, that instead ofcoating or colouring of the conductor strip, in connection with theextrusion a casing material is being used, the desired parts of whichare e.g. opaque and from certain points furthermore transparent orsee-through. Thanks to the moisture resistant structure enabled by theinvention it is naturally important to pay attention to the moistureisolation of the mutual joints of e.g. the conducting elements to becoupled to each other one after another or of conducting elements andcontrol unit/power source, by using a joint material, that is suitablein this connection e.g. castable polyurethane.

What is claimed is:
 1. A controllable electric strip device having a completely integrated flexible structure, comprising: a continuous, flexible and substantially flat printed circuit board comprising a base substrate and an electrically conductive layer etched to form electric circuitry on top of said base substrate, wherein said electric circuitry continues uninteruptedly over the length of the base substrate without bus bars; a plurality of electrically active members that are mounted longitudinally space apart on said electrically conductive layer; and a watertight, flexible and electrically insulating casing member enclosing said circuit board and said plurality of electrically active members.
 2. A controllable electric strip device according to claim 1, wherein said base substrate is continuous, flexible and electrically insulating and said electrically conductive layer comprises copper, said printed circuit board further comprises: an electrically insulating surface coating that at least partly covers said printed circuit board.
 3. A controllable electric strip device according to claim 1, wherein said electrically active members comprise electric components selected from the group consisting of probes, LEDs, LED matrices and resistors.
 4. A controllable electric strip device according to claim 1, wherein said device has a total thickness not greater than 2 millimeters.
 5. A controllable electric strip device according to claim 1, wherein said device has a breadth of about 5 to about 1500 millimeters.
 6. A controllable electric strip device according to claim 1, wherein a thickness of a lowermost part of said casing member existing underneath said printed circuit board is about 0.1 to about 0.3 millimeters.
 7. A controllable electric strip device according to claim 1, wherein said device comprises a plurality of subjacent printed circuit boards, wherein said plurality of circuit boards are electrically isolated from each other.
 8. A controllable electric strip device according to claim 1, wherein said printed circuit board comprises an electrically conductive layer on both opposite sides of said base substrate.
 9. A controllable electric strip device according to claim 1, wherein the manufacturing material of said casing member is selected from the group consisting of PVC, polyurethane and olefin.
 10. A controllable electric strip device according to claim 1, wherein the manufacturing material of said base substrate is selected from the group consisting of polyamide, polyester and polyethylene napthalate.
 11. A controllable electric strip device according to claim 1, wherein said electrically active members comprise surface-mounted components.
 12. A controllable electric strip device according to claim 2, wherein said electrically insulating surface coating is a protective layer that covers the entire surface of said printed circuit board not occupied by said electrically active members.
 13. A controllable electric strip device according to claim 2, wherein said electrically insulating surface coating is a color coating that covers the entire surface of said printed circuit board not occupied by said electrically active members.
 14. A controllable electric strip device according to claim 3, wherein said electrically active members comprise alpha-numeric LED matrices.
 15. A controllable electric strip device according to claim 3, wherein said electrically active members comprise multi-color LED matrices.
 16. A method for producing a controllable electric strip device having a completely integrated flexible structure, said method comprising: providing a supply of a continuous, flexible and substantially flat printed circuit board comprising a base substrate and an electrically conductive layer etched to form electric circuitry uninteruptedly over the length of said base substrate without bus bars; providing a supply of a plurality of electrically active members; providing a supply of a water-tight flexible and electrically insulating casing material; mounting said plurality of electrically active members spaced apart on the electrically conductive layer of said printed circuit board one after the other in the longitudinal direction; and extruding said casing material around said printed circuit board and said plurality of electrically active members.
 17. A method for producing a controllable electric strip device according to claim 16, said method further comprising: providing a supply of an electrically insulating surface coating material; and mounting said electrically insulating surface coating material on the entire surface of said printed circuit board not occupied by said electrically active members.
 18. A method for producing a controllable electric strip device according to claim 16, said method further comprising: providing a plurality of extrusion nozzles, wherein each of said nozzles is connected to an independent supply of variously-colored casing material; and after mounting said electrically active members on said printed circuit board extruding said variously-colored casing materials on said printed circuit board in order to form colored regions extending along the length of the substrate.
 19. A method for producing a controllable electric strip device according to claim 16, wherein said plurality of electrically active members are mounted on the electrically conductive layer of said printed circuit board by surface mounting techniques.
 20. A method for producing a controllable electric strip device according to claim 16, wherein providing said printed circuit board comprises: providing a supply of a continuous, flexible and substantially flat base substrate made of plastics and comprising an electrically conductive layer made of copper on at least one side; providing a supply of a protective color; providing said protective color with a silk-screen printing sieve on top of said electrically conductive layer; printing said protective color using silk screen printing on top of said electrically conductive layer; and etching said electrically conductive layer in order to form the electric circuitry.
 21. A method for producing a controllable electric strip device, said method comprising: providing a supply of a plurality of continuous, flexible and substantially flat printed circuit boards, each comprising a base and an electrically conductive layer that forms an electric circuitry integrally on said base; providing a supply of a plurality of electrically active members; providing a supply of a water-tight, flexible and electrically insulating casing material; mounting said plurality of electrically active members spaced apart on the electrically conductive layers of said plurality of printed circuit boards one after the other in the longitudinal direction; placing said plurality of printed circuit boards one on top of the other; and extruding said casing material around said printed circuit boards and said electrically active members.
 22. A method for producing a controllable electric strip device, said method comprising: providing a supply of a continuous, flexible and substantially flat printed circuit board comprising a base and electrically conductive layers that form electric circuitry integrally on opposite sides of said base; providing a supply of a plurality of electrically active members; providing a supply of a water-tight, flexible and electrically insulating casing material; mounting said plurality of electrically active members spaced apart on the electrically conductive layers of said printed circuit board one after the other in the longitudinal direction; and extruding said casing material around said printed circuit board and said plurality of electrically active members.
 23. A method for producing a controllable electric strip device having a completely integrated flexible structure, the method comprising: mounting a plurality of electrically active members on a continuous, flexible and substantially flat printed circuit board comprising a base substrate and an electrically conductive layer etched to form electric circuitry uninteruptedly over the length of the top of the base substrate without bus bars; and extruding a water-tight flexible and electrically insulating casing material around the printed circuit board and the electrically active members. 